37 Things To Get Rid Of Before You Move House

37+ Things to Get Rid of Before You Move House

We are well and truly into spring, and if you are relocating to a new home, you are probably combining your packing with a little spring cleaning. With 29 percent of Canadians admitting that their home is the most disorganized aspect of their life, a new address can be the perfect opportunity to nip all that clutter in the bud, once and for all.

Updated for 2026 — this guide reflects the latest moving tips and pricing for the Greater Vancouver area.

Understandably, you may be a little hung up on what to keep and what to toss in the trash. The truth is, getting rid of stuff is often harder than we anticipate, particularly if there is a nostalgic value attached to the item. With increasing environmental concerns amongst households, loading up the garbage bags can also make you feel pretty wasteful. So, make sure to recycle or donate what you can, and know that decluttering before a move is one of the smartest financial decisions you can make.

If you are the indecisive type or need a little help with your organizing process, we have listed the must-get-rid-of items according to room. Once you have tackled the jumble of unnecessary stuff, you will be more prepared to start packing and boxing the important items that are coming with you to your new home.

Why Decluttering Before a Move Saves You Money

Every item you bring along adds weight, volume, and time to your move, all of which translate directly to cost. Professional movers typically charge by the hour and by the size of the truck required. By decluttering before moving day, you can reduce the number of boxes and packing supplies needed, potentially downsize to a smaller and more affordable truck, speed up loading and unloading to keep labour hours and your bill lower, and simplify unpacking at your new home so you can settle in faster. Think of decluttering as an investment that pays for itself on moving day and continues paying dividends every time you open a closet or drawer in your new home and find only things you actually use and enjoy.

Kitchen

The kitchen is often the most cluttered room in the house because it accumulates gadgets, utensils, and food items over years of daily use. Start your decluttering here for maximum impact.

1. Check for any outdated food in your fridge and freezer. You would be surprised how many items have been lurking in the back for months or even years.
2. Broken or unused kitchen gadgets like that bread maker you used twice, the juicer gathering dust, or the specialty tool you bought for one recipe.
3. Random dishes, glasses, and crockery that once belonged to a set but are now orphaned singles taking up cabinet space.
4. Opened bottles of alcohol or other liquids that you do not intend to consume. These are heavy to move and not worth the effort.
5. Any Tupperware or food storage containers that are missing lids or get no use. Mismatched containers are the definition of kitchen clutter.
6. Damaged pots and pans with scratched non-stick coatings, wobbly handles, or warped bottoms.
7. Herbs and spices that are gathering dust. Most dried spices lose their potency after one to three years, so if you cannot remember when you bought them, they are overdue for replacement.

In the weeks leading up to your move, try to cook through what is already in your pantry and freezer. This reduces food waste and lightens your kitchen boxes considerably. Plan meals around what you have rather than buying new groceries that will just need to be packed.

Bathroom

8. Old threadbare towels that have lost their absorbency and softness. Fresh towels are one of life’s small luxuries and an inexpensive upgrade for a new home.
9. Unused and expired toiletries including half-empty bottles of shampoo, hotel samples you will never use, and products that did not work for you.
10. Expired medications. Return these to a pharmacy for safe disposal rather than throwing them in the garbage or flushing them.
11. Shower curtains. They are inexpensive to replace and often harbour mildew and soap scum that you cannot fully clean.

Bedroom

12. Old pillows and duvet sets that have lost their loft and no longer provide proper support. Pillows should generally be replaced every one to two years for hygiene and comfort.
13. Past-their-prime bed covers that are faded, pilled, or stained beyond rescue.
14. Frayed or damaged blankets that you keep meaning to repair but never do.

Wardrobe

15. Any clothing items you have not worn in the past year. If you did not reach for it through all four seasons, you are unlikely to wear it in your new home.
16. Damaged or outgrown garments that you will not be altering or fixing.
17. Broken or unworn shoes including the pair you bought on sale that never quite fit right.

Try the hanger test: at the start of each season, turn all your hangers backward. As you wear an item, flip its hanger the right way. At the end of the season, anything still on a backward hanger is a candidate for donation. This method removes the guesswork and emotional decision-making from wardrobe decluttering.

Home Office and Electronics

18. Old laptops, tablets, or phones that no longer function or have been replaced.
19. Tangled cables, cords, and chargers with no matching device. Everyone has a drawer full of mystery cables.
20. Instruction manuals for products you still own. Almost all manuals are available online as PDFs now.
21. Receipts older than the warranty period. Digitize any you need for tax purposes and recycle the rest.
22. Old paperwork and business cards you will never reference again.

For electronics, many municipalities in British Columbia offer free e-waste recycling. Check Return-It for drop-off locations near you. Proper electronic recycling keeps hazardous materials out of landfills and recovers valuable metals and components.

Kids’ Rooms and Play Areas

23. Toys the kids no longer play with or have outgrown. Involve your children in the sorting process and let them choose a set number of items to keep.
24. Broken or incomplete board games and puzzles. A puzzle missing three pieces is never going to be completed.
25. Art supplies that have dried out including markers, paints, and glue sticks.

Help your children understand that donating toys means another child gets to enjoy them. Framing decluttering as generosity rather than loss makes the process easier for kids of all ages and teaches valuable lessons about sharing and letting go.

Miscellaneous Items

26. Any marketing or promotional gifts that serve no practical purpose in your daily life.
27. Cheap furniture that has been chipped or damaged beyond reasonable repair. See our furniture disposal and donation service for help.
28. Unopened boxes from a previous move. If you have not needed those items since your last move, you almost certainly do not need them now.
29. Knick-knack gifts and decorative items that you do not genuinely enjoy looking at.
30. Cheap prints, posters, and artworks that do not hold meaning for you or fit your new home’s style.
31. Suitcases and luggage you no longer use, especially hard-shell cases that take up enormous closet space.
32. Old magazines and newspapers you have been meaning to read for years.
33. VHS tapes, cassette tapes, and any CDs you do not or cannot listen to anymore.
34. Old holiday decorations that do not make it out of the box, ever.
35. Birthday cards and greeting cards. Keep a handful of truly meaningful ones and photograph the rest if you want to preserve the memories.
36. Old curtains that will not fit your new windows anyway.
37. Tattered rugs and carpets that have seen better decades.

Garage and Storage Areas

38. Leftover paint cans that have dried or separated. Check the lid before assuming paint is still usable.
39. Broken garden tools and cracked hoses.
40. Sports equipment from hobbies you no longer pursue.
41. Musical instruments that were never played beyond the first enthusiastic week.
42. Used notebooks and old textbooks from courses completed years ago.

Hazardous materials like paint, solvents, propane tanks, and pesticides cannot be transported by movers and should not go in regular garbage. Dispose of them through your municipality’s household hazardous waste program before moving day. Most Metro Vancouver municipalities offer free drop-off events several times per year.

Where to Donate, Sell, or Recycle in Metro Vancouver

Getting rid of items does not have to mean sending everything to the landfill. There are many responsible options available across the Lower Mainland. Donate gently used clothing, furniture, and household goods to the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver. Sell items through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Poshmark if they have resale value. Recycle electronics through Return-It depots and take advantage of clothing take-back programs offered by many retail brands. For bulky items that cannot be donated or recycled, your local transfer station accepts them for a small fee.

Your Pre-Move Decluttering Timeline

Spreading the work over several weeks makes decluttering manageable instead of overwhelming. Six weeks before your move, start with the garage, storage areas, and spare bedrooms since these are the spaces you use least and provide quick wins. Four weeks before, tackle closets, wardrobes, and the home office. Two weeks before, sort through the kitchen, bathrooms, and living areas. One week before, do a final sweep of every room and make final decisions on anything that did not get sorted earlier.

Getting started is always the hardest part of any decluttering project. Once you sort through that first drawer or closet and see the results, the momentum builds quickly and naturally.

Conclusion

When preparing for a move, decluttering should top your to-do list. It saves you money, simplifies the entire process, and gives you a fresh start in a home that contains only things you truly use and value. Use this comprehensive checklist to systematically work through every room and let go of the items that no longer serve you.

Remember, a lot of this stuff can and should be given away or appropriately disposed of. Once you have confronted the emotional attachment to the items that add no real value to your present life, the rest of your move becomes much easier. Starting clean and making a decision to accumulate less clutter in the future will put you back in control of your domestic environment and make settling into your new home more pleasant and exciting.

While we are more than happy to help you pack and transport any belongings or pieces of furniture, taking stock of your personal inventory is always a good idea. By carefully reviewing your household contents and clearing out the things you have outgrown or no longer need, the process of moving becomes more enjoyable, and you will feel less overwhelmed when it comes to unpacking.

Ready to move? Call Simple Moves at (604) 398-4680 or get a free quote today. We handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on your fresh start.